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Guinea Pig Bedding

SoftaCARD, Papelit and Sofnest - A Great Trio for Guinea Pigs

When looking for suitable bedding for guinea pigs, there are more than one or two boxes that need to be ticked to achieve the ideal choice.

The most commonly used bedding is a generous helping of woodshavings; a natural by-product from the woodworking industry, woodshavings have always been easy to find and kind to the pocket. However, woodshavings aren’t the ideal bedding choice for guinea pigs as they are very dusty (the same applying to “dust extracted” bales that still contain an unsuitable level of dust), a detriment to guinea pigs as they are prone to respiratory disease and thrive on low dust and dust-free beddings. Dusty beddings also contribute to dry and fungal skin problems as the flakes dry the oils on the coat, and additionally can cause dust allergies in both guinea pig and owner. Woodshavings aren’t terribly absorbent either, soaking up water and urine and becoming a soggy mess that doesn’t control odours and becomes pungent after a short period of time.

Both SoftaCARD and Papelit Paper Pellets are a much more suitable substrate choice for guinea pigs, exceeding expectations for absorbency, odour control and dust content.

SoftaCARD produced from UNUSED VIRGIN eggboxes which have not been anywhere near a hatchery is produced in a different way to most other substrates in that it is shredded into strips which makes the substrate softer and more bouncy. It also absorbs faster due to an increased surface area. SoftaCARD encourages the natural act of digging and foraging keeping your pets occupied and be not bored. SoftaCARD is dust extracted, meaning virtually no dust and the airways of your guinea pigs are not irritated. SoftaCARD bales are tightly packed which means that they can be stored easily and will last a long time – each bale should last several months depending on the size of your cage and the frequency of cleaning out.

The Papelit pellets in particular absorb water with the efficiency of a sponge without dissolving into small particles, something very useful for guinea pigs that dribble their water or bottles that have a tendency to leak. The bedding remains dry in areas of heavy water leakage or urination, therefore ensuring the newspaper underneath is not sodden and prone to breaking into pieces when rolled up during bedding changes.

Often with paper pellet and pulp style beddings the strong smell of urine starts to become present after a day or two, especially with less absorbent beddings, but Papelit Paper Pellets reduce the smell to a point where after three days of being lived on by two male guinea pigs, the smell of urine is barely detectable.

Perhaps the most important benefit of using SoftaCARD and Papelit Paper Pellets for guinea pigs is the complete lack of dust. Even disturbing these beddings don’t produce any dust.

Papelit as a substrate works better than SoftaCARD as it is more absorbent and has superior odour control. However, it can work out more expensive than SoftaCARD which on the other hand is very soft and much more comfortable than Papelit and is extremely cost effective, probably cheaper than any other substrates.

So should you use Papelit as a substrate with superior odour control and absorbency or SoftaCARD with it being very soft and comfortable and cost effective?

To get the best of both worlds – higher absorbency and good odour control and soft comfortable surface for your guinea pigs to walk on and be cost effective, we suggest that you use SoftaCARD and Papelit in combination. We suggest that you have a thin layer (say 5mm to 10mm) of Papelit under a generous layer of SoftaCARD. This way you will have best of both worlds.

Another bonus of using this method is that interval between clean outs will be longer.

A really great addition for the comfort of your guinea pigs is the Softnest Nesting Material, soft shredded bedding made from natural fibres and perfect for guinea pigs to nestle and sleep in. Sofnest Nesting Material comes in three variants – Sofnest Standard, Sofnest Flakes and Sofnest Paper Flakes.

SoftaCARD guinea pig bedding is the ideal base for your guinea pig to walk on, bed on, forage and burrow in. SoftaCARD guinea pig bedding is a safe, dust extracted bedding which is produced from UNUSED VIRGIN eggboxes which have not been anywhere near a hatchery. The small pieces (5mm by 25mm) make this bedding especially soft and springy. As well as not creating dust whilst in use, this guinea pig...

This Guinea Pig bedding and paper pellet bundle contains a SoftaCARD Maxibale plus 15 Litres Papelit Paper Guinea Pig Litter Pellets. The SoftaCARD guinea pig bedding is ideal for your pets to bed and walk on as it is soft, warm and extremely absorbent. This bedding is produced by shredding UNUSED VIRGIN eggboxes which have not been anywhere near a hatchery, into fine pieces of around 5mm by 25mm....

This guinea pig SoftaCARD bedding and nesting material pack will keep your pet snug without having to worry about dust. This guinea pig bedding pack consists of a dust extracted SoftaCARD Maxibale plus Sofnest Standard Nesting Material. SoftaCARD bedding is ideal for guinea pigs as it is highly absorbent and allows for foraging and tunnelling behaviour. SoftaCARD guinea pig bedding is produced from finely...